Well, haven’t we all got that nostalgic back-to-school feeling?
There has been rather a lot going on, most of it unfortunately having little to do with writing. We have moved house, work has been predictably busy (who doesn’t love an Autumn Statement ready to drop faster than the rusting leaves), and the last few weeks have disappeared into unpacking, redecorating, broadband problems and trying to work out why old houses have quite so many switches that apparently do nothing.
All of which is...
Today, Trading Futures was published.
This is excellent news for readers, who can now discover what happens when destiny becomes a tradable commodity.
It is rather less excellent news for me, because people can now form opinions about it.
For better or worse, the future is now.
My thanks to everyone who has supported the series over the past year. I hope you enjoy your return to the Citadel.
For those joining the series for the first time: welcome. The paperwork is regrettable but unavoidable.
A year ago, Modern Magic made its way into the world.
Since then, it has found thousands of readers, become an Amazon bestseller, generated a surprising amount of admin (who knew writing required accountants?), gained an audiobook version, and spawned a sequel (more on that below). All in all, it’s been a rather full year. And the fun doesn’t stop there…
Modern Magic audiobook now available!
The audiobook is finally out, produced by Tantor and narrated by the genuinely magical Sarah Kempton.
...
I’ve been thinking about beginnings a lot recently. Which, admittedly, makes a pleasant change from worrying about how we’re all tootling along towards our (hopefully eventual rather than imminent) end.
The beginning of Modern Magic looked very different at first. My original opening didn’t survive the final edit. It was, if I’m being honest, more of an introductory history lesson. My editor, quite rightly, instructed me to start where things actually happen (or, more accurately, where things...
A few updates, but first: it turns out I really need to work on my elevator pitch for Modern Magic.
There have now been several occasions where a friend or colleague has announced to someone that I have written a book. This is usually followed by: “What kind of book?”
At which point the pitch descends as rapidly as a ton of steel where someone has pressed the wrong button and I mumble something along the lines of: “Erm… fantasy?”
This often leads to the whispered and wide-eyed question: “Is it...
What a year it’s been.
If you’d told me in January that by the end of 2025 I’d have published my first book, hit bestseller status, signed an audiobook deal, and almost (almost!) finished the second book, I’d have looked at you incredulously. Possibly even glared.
Back then, still reeling from rejections and ghostings that made me wonder whether there was any point in trying to get my odd little story out there, I wasn’t in a good place. 2024 had not been fun. I remained determined, but it was...
When I first started writing Modern Magic, I never dared to imagine anyone else reading it aloud - certainly not professionally. But rather wonderfully, that’s exactly what’s happening.
I’m thrilled to share that Modern Magic is officially in development as an audiobook, courtesy of Tantor Media. The fantastic team there will be bringing Ivy and the Tower (and all that paperwork) to listeners in an exciting new way.
It still feels surreal that a story I once wrote between deadlines, meetings,...
I get asked a lot about how I manage to write books alongside a full-time legal career, family life, and everything else that insists on existing simultaneously. Often the people asking are my colleagues, which leads to a moment of terrifying panic that I am about to become very much able to fit everything into a day that involves a lot less lawyering. Thankfully, they are all very understanding, and I’m still allowed to function as both a lawyer and a writer. Although sometimes function is...
This past week has felt like riding a dragon: terrifying, dizzying, and bloody magical.
When I published Modern Magic back in July, I never imagined I’d be writing a post like this so soon.
Thanks to an incredible BookBub Featured Deal (something I never expected to land), Modern Magic shot up the charts and became an Amazon International Bestseller. It reached the Top 300 Kindle Store overall in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada and hit #1 in Contemporary Fantasy and Coming of Age Fantasy. For...
Inspiration is a funny thing.
Since Modern Magic came out, friends have asked me where the ideas for its magical world and eccentric characters began.
Some of them have been quietly forming in the back of my mind for years. Take the parallels between mages and city lawyers: a thought experiment that kept me entertained in my windowless junior office, wondering what it would be like to cast spells instead of drafting contracts. The conclusion? Probably just as tedious. Human beings have a...
I’ve always loved the moment in a story when, after all the anticipation, Pandora’s box is finally opened — rules are broken, chaos ensues, and the world is changed. After that, it’s all about finding a way to let hope creep back in, and allow the new world to settle…
I’m Beth Williams, author of Modern Magic.
By day, I’m a corporate lawyer. But somewhere along the way, I started wondering… what if I swapped contracts and conference calls for magic and stories?
That thought turned into Modern...